The world of antique pipes is a fascinating place full of surprising materials, shapes, styles, sizes and configurations and, depending on where the pipes were produced, can be encountered in a broad range of embellishments and accents in precious and semi-precious stones, silver and gold filigree, amber, ivory, horn, bone, and tortoiseshell.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Les Pipes d'Etalage

The French clay pipes known as "pipes d'étalage" have a foyer between 6 and 10 inches (15 to 25cm) high. They were never intended for use as a smoking device.They played a different role in the clay pipe industry.

Manufactured
in small series with utmost care to the original sculpture (we know the
name of one artist), the mold, the quality of the clay and the finish
applied, they were awarded as in-store showpieces to the most worthy
among the retailers that carried the manufacturer's product line. None of the pipes d'étalage accordingly appears in catalogs from the XIXth century. Dumeril Leurs, Dutel-Gisclon, Blanc Garin and Gambier are known for their "pipes d'étalage". So is Bonnaud of Marseille for its 7 1/5 inches high red clay exhibition piece bearing the arms of the city of Marseille.